Steve Kerr keeps speaking out on politics, whether Warriors like it or not

As Steve Kerr's future as Golden State Warriors head coach twists in doubt, one thing remains abundantly clear: Kerr will continue to speak his mind on political issues, no matter the ramifications.

The latest example came when Kerr sat down last week for an interview with the New Yorker. The story posted Sunday on the magazine's website, amid lingering uncertainty about whether Kerr will return to the Warriors next season - and suggestions his public candor on politics doesn't always sit well with others in the organization.

Kerr did the interview as a favor to his mom, Ann Kerr, he wrote in a text exchange Monday with the Chronicle. The author of the New Yorker piece, Charles Bethea, wrote a profile of Ann Kerr in 2018.

At one point in the interview, after Steve Kerr praised his dad Malcolm's intelligence, patience and dignity, Bethea observed, "A different kind of leadership than you see nowadays."

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Kerr pounced.

"I think we're as weak as we've ever been as a country, at least in a long time, because our leadership is so misguided," he said, without mentioning President Donald Trump by name. "There's a lack of humility, a lack of dignity, a lack of understanding of the world, a lack of embracing other perspectives. The belligerence."

Malcolm Kerr was a UCLA professor and Middle East scholar who became president of American University of Beirut. He was assassinated outside his office in January 1984 at age 52. Members of what became Hezbollah (a militant group allied with Iran) claimed responsibility for the killing.

Given Steve Kerr's interest in politics, and his deeply personal connection to the ongoing Middle East conflict, Bethea then asked him about the war in Lebanon and Iran.

"My dad was killed by Iranian proxies 42 years ago," Kerr said. "I have no regard for the Iranian regime whatsoever. But the answer does not lie in starting a war and killing innocent people.

"Imagine being a parent of one of the 175 girls who died when their school was bombed. Their loss, their suffering. … How are they going to feel about America? Violence begets violence."

Kerr spoke to the New Yorker on April 20, three days after his team's season-ending, play-in tournament loss to Phoenix. In his postgame news conference that night, Kerr expressed uncertainty about his coaching future - his contract runs out this summer - and noted all coaching jobs have an "expiration date," sounding ready to walk away.

Then, last week, two reports suggested Kerr's penchant for political commentary has ruffled feathers within the Warriors. ESPN's Marc Spears, appearing on 95.7 The Game, referenced Kerr speaking out on issues involving social justice, racism and gun violence before adding, "I've heard maybe he's being stifled a little bit in that regard. I've heard maybe some people are tired of his voice. … If it's true people want him to be a little more quiet, I'm sure that might not sit too well with him."

Later in the week, the Athletic's Nick Friedell cited league and team sources as saying, "Kerr's desire to speak candidly on social and political issues has at times caused internal frustration."

Kerr declined the Chronicle's interview request Monday. A Warriors spokesperson said owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy wouldn't be available until after Kerr's situation is resolved.

Later in the New Yorker interview, while reflecting on his blunt criticism of Trump after he was first elected president in 2016 (including calling him a "buffoon"), Kerr acknowledged he needed to soften his tone given his role as the public voice of the Warriors.

"I was so disgusted I didn't hold back," he said of his '16 rant. "I've learned I need to be better in terms of representing our organization in a way that I could still let my feelings be known but not get too personal. I'm representing a large group of people."

Kerr has long railed against gun violence, including a May 2022 news conference hours after the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers. He slammed U.S. senators for not voting on legislation calling for universal background checks.

More recently, in January, Kerr criticized Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials for their role in the killing of Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good. Kerr condemned Good's shooting by an ICE agent, saying, "It's shameful we can have law enforcement officers who commit murder and seemingly get away with it."

About two weeks later, the Warriors were in Minneapolis when Alex Pretti, one of thousands of protesters of the government's immigration policy, was killed by Department of Homeland Security officials. Kerr expressed his sympathy, then eventually waded into the issue of immigration reform.

"We're really hopeful the protests here and nationwide will lead to a much better solution for immigration," Kerr said. "It's not like they're rooting out violent criminals. They're taking 5-year-old kindergartners, U.S. citizens, and detaining people. Immigration is a problem that needs to be addressed by Congress, legislatively, not by military force in the streets pulling people from their homes."

Later that week, Kerr acknowledged he "misspoke," knew ICE was arresting criminals and apologized for the comment. He repeated his criticism of the government for detaining people who "should not be detained" and the manner in which it was apprehending people.

Among other notable quotes in Kerr's interview with the New Yorker:

- On the divisiveness in the U.S., which he said was happening before Trump: "He definitely has taken advantage of that to gain and consolidate power, and he's using it to drive a wedge between all of us. He's not the only one who's done that, but he's the president. He's got the most power. But calling the president a buffoon, I kind of regret that even though I felt it in my heart."

- On whether he regrets not speaking out when the NBA reprimanded then-Rockets general manager Daryl Morey for a tweet supporting anti-government protesters in Hong Kong: "Yeah. I was wrong. We had a lot of players on our team (who) were doing business in China. A lot of our players would go there in the offseason and the NBA had this huge relationship with China. … I didn't handle it well. I was trying to walk the company line and not make the NBA mad."

- On the oft-discussed possibility he could pursue public office after his coaching career: "I don't have any desire to go into politics. I love basketball. This is my world. All of my friends and my people are in this world. And whether I keep coaching the Warriors or not, I imagine I'll be involved in basketball."

That Kerr agreed to the New Yorker interview - his only public comments since the April 17 news conference in Phoenix - shouldn't come as a surprise. Ann Kerr always has had an affinity for the magazine.

In October 2024, during a Chronicle interview for a profile of his mom, Steve Kerr feigned anger about Ann (instead of him or one of his brothers) joining his dad for UCLA-USC football games when Steve was a kid. He recalled how she loved the atmosphere of the big college football rivalry - and how she typically brought a copy of the New Yorker with her.

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 10:43 AM.